The present invention relates to a ballistic vent apparatus, and more particularly, a ballistic vent apparatus for use in an aircraft to allow for proper ventilation while preventing bullets and splinters from passing therethrough.
Airline pilots are susceptible to the hijacking of an aircraft due to the accessibility of the cockpit to the passengers. Different mechanisms and designs have been developed to provide for the safety of pilots by ensuring that the cockpit doors cannot be forced open by an intruder. This requires that the cockpit door be reinforced and locked to protect the pilots from such a break-in. In so doing, ventilation and communication between the cockpit and the cabin are greatly reduced. However, the lack of proper ventilation can affect the proper pressurization of the cockpit and the cabin.
Securement of the cockpit doors does not necessarily protect pilots from gunfire. Terrorists and criminals may still fire guns at a cockpit door or at a bulkhead wall of an aircraft in an attempt to injure the pilots or gain access to the cockpit. Certain designs have been developed that utilize armored walls and doors to protect the pilots from such gunfire, but again, such designs limit the amount of ventilation and communication permitted between the cockpit and the cabin.
Previous ballistic grills and shields have been designed and utilized outside the aircraft industry. These designs have also been constructed to prevent a bullet and or splinters from passing through the ballistic grill or shield. However, such designs are typically complex and/or fabricated from expensive materials thereby creating designs that are difficult to maintain and expensive to manufacture.
It would be desirable to provide a ballistic vent for use in an aircraft that prevented a bullet and/or splinters from passing through the ballistic vent while providing proper ventilation and communication between the cockpit and the cabin of the aircraft. It would also be desirable to provide a ballistic vent design for an aircraft that was simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
The present invention provides a ballistic vent apparatus for use in an aircraft that provides sufficient ventilation while preventing the passing of bullets and splinters therethrough. The present invention provides a frame having a U-shaped cross-section adaptable to receive a cross-section of a cockpit door or a bulkhead wall of the aircraft. A pair of opposing and similar supports are connected to the frame, and each of the supports have a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots formed therein. A plurality of ballistic vent angles extend through the slots and are connected to the supports. The ballistic vent angles are fabricated from a ballistic material such as stainless steel. The ballistic vent angles have a V-shaped cross-section defined by integrally opposing legs formed at an angle of substantially 105xc2x0. A maximum spacing of substantially 0.44 inches is provided between the ballistic vent angles. The integrally opposing legs of the V-shaped cross-section of the ballistic vent angles have ends that are spaced no less than substantially 1.55 inches from one another. Tabs are formed on the longitudinal ends of the ballistic vent angles to secure and position the ballistic vent angles relative to the supports. A ballistic panel may be connected to the frame and extend along the back side of the ballistic vent angles to prevent bullets and splinters from passing through the ballistic vent angles.